The present invention is directed to a truck bedliner locking device and more specifically to a one piece rotatable member adapted to extend through a hole drilled through the liner in partial overlapping relation with the lower edge of the flange of the truck bed walls whereby upon rotation of the locking device, an angled projection thereon will move into locking engagement behind the truck bed flange.
Pick-up trucks are provided with an open top cargo bed having a bottom floor, opposite side walls and a front wall. The interior surfaces of the cargo bed are frequently subjected to damage due to objects being carried in the cargo bed. Once the paint finish on the interior surfaces of the cargo bed is scratched or otherwise penetrated, rusting of the sheet metal cargo bed begins. To prevent such damage, it has become common practice to utilize a liner of plastic material which is configured to have a bottom wall which overlies the bottom of the bed and front and side walls which extend upwardly adjacent the front and side walls of the cargo bed of the pick-up truck. Such a liner may be made of rubber-based materials or may be fabricated from synthetic resin or plastic materials which are molded into a configuration complementary to the cargo bed space for a particular model and make of truck.
Although the liners are configured to fit fairly closely to the contours of the cargo bed when molded to the specifications of a particular make and model truck, it is often necessary to provide some means for mechanically securing the liner in the cargo bed. Although many bedliners are provided with flanges designed to extend over the cargo bed rails along the top of the front and rear walls thereof, such flanges have not provided adequate securing of the liner to the cargo bed. Accordingly, a variety of mechanical devices have been provided for securing the bedliners to the cargo bed.
One type of fastener for securing a pick-up truck bedliner to the rail of the pick-up truck bed is generally classified as a snap-lock fastener. The U.S. patent to Edwards (U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,040) provides a plurality of slot pairs spaced around the top of the vertical walls of the liner at a level just below the interior flange of the truck bed walls. Resilient retainer clips extend through the slots and engage the flange of the truck bed walls to secure the liner to the bed.
Another type of snap-lock fastener for truck bedliners is shown in the U.S. Patent to Marcum (U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,775). The fastener includes a base plate which overlies the outer surface of a bedliner and a locking tongue projecting laterally from a bottom of the plate to extend through an aperture in the liner side wall to mechanically couple with the flange of the cargo bed sidewall to effect clamping of the liner to the flange. A similar snap-lock fastener is disclosed in the U.S. Patent to Kennedy (U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,940).
A different type of truck bedliner retainer is shown in the U.S. Patents to Gower (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,659,133 and 4,768,822). In a first embodiment, each liner retaining device is comprised of a cup-shaped insertable portion having a substantially rectilinear box-like structure which is inserted through a corresponding aperture in the side wall of the pick-up truck bedliner immediately below the truck rail flange. A fastener is then inserted through the wall of the retainer behind the flange of the pick-up truck bed to secure the liner in position. In a second embodiment, a plurality of apertures are provided in the wall of the pick-up truck bedliner immediately below the flange of the pick-up truck bed. Retainers are rotatably mounted within the aperture with each retainer having a rim portion for engaging the liner and a conical-shaped insertable member that is spiralled in cross-section. The insertable member engages the ledge wall of the truck bed compartment in a screw-like manner to pull the rim against the liner and wedge the insertable portion against the ledge. Once the retainer is rotated into locking position, a screw may be inserted through the flange of the retainer and a wall of the liner to prevent further rotation of the retainer.
Other types of rotatable anchors for pick-up truck bedliners are disclosed in the U.S. Patent to Robinson et (U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,942) and Wagner (U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,026). The fastener of Robinson et al. is comprised of a rotatable bolt having a head at one end and an anchor member at the other end through which the bolt threadedly extends. The anchor member may be rotated in an aperture in the liner immediately below the flange of the pick-up truck bedliner until the anchor member engages the inner, upper surface of the rail, thereby preventing further rotation. Thus, upon continued rotation of the bolt, the anchor will be drawn against the flange to clamp the liner to the flange. In the Wagner device, the fixture includes a .lock member having a bevelled lower part which contacts a downturned inner portion of the truck bed side wall to secure the liner to the bed. An actuator pin allows the lock member to be rotated into a locked position after installation. Thus, both of these locking devices utilize a plurality of components.
The patents to Kawecki (U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,609), Olgren (U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,524) and Abe (U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,580) disclose various types of fasteners for other uses which may be rotated into locking position but require either a camming action or a plurality of components.